0909 Benedict Brogan says that Lord Mandelson's lukewarm defence of Brown (see below) indicates that senior Labour figures areready to ditch the PM to clear the way for an alliance with the Lib Dems. Peter Hain certainly seems to be in that camp - he said that the election had delivered an "anti-Conservative majority" that represented a "a once-in-a-political-lifetime opportunity for the Liberal Democrats". Looks like Labour are not yet resigned to leaving Downing Street. The last 40 or so seats could be crucial in deciding which party can make the most convincing claim for a mandate.

Any Labour-led coalition would likely have to include Welsh and Scottish Nationalists, plus Caroline Lucas, the first ever Green MP.

0858Lord Mandelson was repeatedly pressed on Sky News about whether Gordon Brown will resign. His answer left room for an eventual yes:

"I think that would be rather a surprising thing to happen. He is the Prime Minister. I don't think it would help matters if he were suddenly to stand aside."

0844 The focus this morning is, naturally, on the election results and who will form the next government. But the organisational errors which led thousands of people to be turned away from polling stations will be major news in the coming days. This image, provided to the Telegraph by University of Sheffield Students Union, shows the long queues that built up in Nick Clegg's constituency:

0839 Still awaiting results for several East London seats. Alastair Jamieson writes:

"Yet another delay in Tower Hamlets, Poplar and Limehouse only just starting to count. Result now 9am. Looks like minister Jim Fitzpatrick might have seen off a challenge from Tories and George Galloway but majority will be smaller than number of last minute voters who registered in April and who have not been verified. Tory candidate has called for 'internal review' at council into vote delays and will 'consider options' for a legal challenge 'depending on result'."

0835 Wow, Glenda Jackson has hung on in Hampstead & Kilburn by the skin of her teeth.Her majority of 42 is the smallest of the 2010 election, we think. And the third place candidate wasn't far behind either:

"While, in constitutional terms, Mr Brown has the first shot at forming a government, and remains Prime Minister until he resigns, it is hard to see how he can do anything other than stand aside with as much grace as he can muster."

"Comical scenes as the Clegg team fails to board the waiting fast train from Sheffield to London, apparently in order to avoid the waiting press pack. Telegraph is the only newspaper on the trail of the Lib Dems as the nation waits to hear who the kingmaker crowns."

0808 BBC London has some terrific footage of defeated Tory A lister Joanne Cash marching out of the count in Westminster North, where she unexpectedly lost to Labour's Karn Buck after a high-profile falling out with her local party. Earlier, Cash blamed "media lies" for her defeat in a vitriolic speech.

0801 Lord Ashdown is echoing Lord Mandelson's calls for calm and caution. On the BBC Today programme he recommended everyone "go and get some sleep" before coming to any conclusions.

0758 Heidi Blake reports bitter mudslinging in the speeches by the Labour and Lib Dem candidates for Manchester Withington:

"John Leech, the re-elected Lib Dem MP, accuses Labour of 'lie after lie' during the campaign. Lucy Powell, the defeated Labour candidate, says 'there's only one career politician on this stage and it ain't me', to shouts of 'Liar!' from the crowd."

0750 Lord Mandelson: "People have voted for change, but it's not clear which party they want." He adds: "This is an unusual situation... you have to find a combination of parties or find one party to form a minority government. But the question is whether that minority government could provide the strong and stable leadership the country wants."

He's choosing his words carefully, and refusing to be drawn on what Brown is thinking. He's untypically meek - not speaking like a man who is planning to fight tooth and claw to remain in power.

0734 The big beasts are waking up after snatching a few hours kip. Michael Gove tells Jeremy Paxman: "Gordon Brown has been comprehensively defeated in this election. David Cameron has secured a larger number and share of the vote than in 2005 when Tony Blair became Prime MInister. The logical next step is for David Cameron to form a new government."

He adds: "The British public has decided that Brown and his crew should move on."

Lord Mandelson is speaking next. His tone should reveal whether Labour are prepared to step aside. Constitutionally they don't have to, but they risk being seen as anti-democratic squatters if they maintain that the mandate is theirs.

He's been on screen for nearly 10 hours, but David Dimbleby remains a class act. "I thrive on chaos and confusion," he tells Gove.

0723 For readers who treated themselves to some sleep and are only just joining us, here are some of the top stories that broke overnight:

"Eddie Izzard has turned up at the Manchester count to support his friend Lucy Powell, the Labour candidate for Withington. He is not in good spirits. The Daily Telegraph asks for his prediction. 'My prediction for what, whether the sky will be blue tomorrow?' No, for the remainder of the election results. 'It's going to be a hung parliament. You're way behind the curve'."

"Nick Clegg’s poor showing illustrates clearly that the British public has no faith in his ability to take part in the governance of the country. Clegg’s staggering arrogance during the campaign has been exposed as an empty shell."

But a bit of good news for the Lib Dems - they have taken Bradford East from Labour and Solihull from the Tories.

0707 Another high-profile Labour casualty. Tony McNulty, the former immigration minister, has succumbed to the Tories in Harrow East. But Gerald Kaufman has retained the safe Labour seat of Manchester Gorton.

0704 With less than 70 constituencies left to declare, the pressure is now on Gordon Brown to step aside and allow the Tories to form a government. The PM has just arrived at Downing Street, ignoring the shouted questions of "are you going to resign Mr Brown?" from journalists.

"The shameless attempts by Labour Party leaders to contemplate the possibility of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats to keep their discredited government in office are the final insult to an electorate that has emphatically rejected them. The failure of Nick Clegg's apparent success in the televised leaders' debates to translate into gains for his party also militates against any stitch-up by the so-called 'progressive left'."

It continues:

"When all the votes are counted later today, he should have enough seats to form the first minority government since 1974 and get a Queen's Speech through Parliament with the informal support of the minor parties, who will not wish to trigger another election by voting it down. Such a result would mark a signal personal triumph for David Cameron, who has demonstrated throughout the campaign the qualities of unflappability and stamina that he will need in the months and years to come. The scale of his achievement cannot be overstated."

0648 Another Lib Dem loss, this time in their South West heartlands. Julia Goldsworthy, the party's communities spokeswoman, has lost in Camborne and Redruth by just 66 votes. George Eustice, David Cameron's former press secretary, takes the seat for the Tories.

0646 There are severe delays in many of the East London counts. Alastair Jamieson writes:

"Poplar & Limehouse result still not expected until 8am. Perhaps the party leaders could draw lots? In Brentwood, Essex the Tory and Liberal Democrat council candidates were exactly tied on 1,578 votes in the Brentwood West ward so they drew lots. Lib Dem Nigel Clarke won."

0639Nick Clegg holds Sheffield Hallam, as expected. The real attention is on his acceptance speech. "This has obviously been a disappointing night for the Lib Dems," he says, visibly drained. "We obviously have not achieved what we hoped."

He even risks a jibe at the electorate: "We engaged a lot of people over the campaign... even if they did not go on and vote for the Liberal Democrats."

Despite his party's poor showing, Clegg remains a kingmaker. But he offers few clues to his intentions, saying that the party leaders should not rush into coalition decisions. Time is required to ensure the country gets the "good government" it deserves, he says.

0619 The Queen's decision toorder a cooling off period this morning, banning any party leader from coming to Buckingham Palace until 1pm, is looking increasingly wise. Both the Tories and Labour have indicated that they will claim a mandate to govern, although we've heard nothing from the leaders for several hours. The horse-trading has already begun.

0615 The BBC are reporting more ballot problems in Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency, where hundreds of students were prevented from voting by long queues at voting stations. Apparently the delayed count is threatening to disrupt early morning swimming lessons in the leisure centre where votes are being counted...

0611 In addition to Shahid Malik, several junior ministers have lost their seats. They include Ann Keen (health, Brentford and Isleworth), Chris Mole (transport, Ipswich), Paul Clark (transport, Gillingham and Rainham) and Jonathan Shaw (disabled people, Chatham and Aylesford), all to the Tories.

0605 The latest predictions for Sky News indicate the Tories will win 309 seats. It's less than they hoped for, and in that band of totals which leaves a big question mark over who will form the next government. It might be just about enough to squeeze through legislation with the help of the DUP and Welsh and Scottish Nationalists, but it leaves the door open for Labour and Lib Dems to put themselves forward as a more credible coalition. The Sky predictions put Labour on 259 and the Lib Dems on 54.

0600 Labour's Margaret Hodge wins in Barking, with Tory candidate Simon Marcus pushing the BNP leader Nick Griffin into third place. It's a big come down for the far-right party after their success in last year's local and European elections.

A mixed blessing for the Tories? The Telegraph's Martin Beckford tweets:

0550 Scrub that, Caroline Lucas has taken Brighton Pavilion for the Greens! Political history is made. The eco-party's first ever MP.

0548 Earlier in the evening it seemed the Greens were on course to take their first Westminster seat, Brighton Pavilion. But Louise Gray has a warning:

"Another Tory gain from Labour in Brighton Kemptown. Simon Kirby won by 1,328 votes. This means Brighton Pavilion is in the middle of two Tory seats and does not bode well for the Greens."

0543David Blunkett (re-elected in Sheffield Brightside) has gone off-message. While Labour cabinet ministers are making naked attempts to woo the Lib Dems with positive noises about electoral reform, Blunkett has told reporters that Labour have lost nationally and are in no position to form a coalition.

0535 Some interesting strands on a very muddled night:

Labour are doing well in Scotland, Wales, and seats with with high ethnic minority and student populations.

Incumbents are doing better than expected against new candidates, except where their expenses have made headlines.

Gordon Brown seems determined to cling on to power with the Lib Dems, but Labour has only secured 28pc of the public vote - less than Michael Foot in 1983

We are heading for a hung parliament, but its nature is still uncertain. The Tories could still reach the 305-15 seats that would put them in a position to govern with the Ulster Unionists.

0525Shaun Bailey, the hotly-tipped Tory A-lister and one of the few black candidates contesting a winnable seat, has failed to take Hammersmith. Labour's Andrew Slaughter (in the middle) wins by a hefty 3,549 votes.

Another Tory A-lister to flop was Joanne Cash, who failed to win over voters in Westminster North, where Labour's Karen Buck has secured a 2,126 majority.

0520 Update: 480 of the 650 seats have now declared. Here's the standings;

Con 237 (+67)

Lab 181 (-61)

Lib Dems 36 (-5)

0517 The Telegraph's Richard Edwards is watching the count in South West London:

"Vince Cable just arrived. Asked 'what happened to Cleggmania' he said: 'There's not a lot of it about'."

0513Birmingham Edgbaston, which was meant to be the first marginal to declare at 1am, is finally announcing after a fiendishly close count. Gisela Stuart retains the seat for Labour, with a 1,200 majority. The swing to the Tories is just 1pc. It's one of those seats that Cameron's party really had to win to take a majority. Another suprising result on an odd night.

0500 Lord Ashcroft, the Tory donor and election co-ordinator, is giving a rare interview to the BBC. And it sounds like a post mortem. He concedes that his funding of Tory candidates in marginals produced a "mixed bag" of results and says there is a debate to be had about whether the Tories should have agreed to the leaders' debates. He confirms that he is stepping down from the party to pursue commercial interests, but is giving up his non-dom status.

Interviewer Andrew Neil ends with a cheeky right hook, joking that Lord Ashcroft's new tax status may make swingeing government cuts unnecessary.

0454 But Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, is a gonner. He's lost Norwich South to the Lib Dems by just 300 votes. Will his sworn enemy Gordon Brown shed a tear?

0451 Ed Balls re-elected as MP for Morley & Outwood. His majority is cut to 1,100, but the Tories narrowly fail to get their most prized target. There's a huge press contingent in the counting room, which Balls wryly acknowledges in his acceptance speech: "I'm sorry to the cameras who didn't get the moment they were looking for."

0437 Jacqui Smith has been thrashed in Redditch, losing to Tory candidate Karen Lumley. A swing of 9.2pc. It's the scalp of the night, trumping the downfalls of Lembit Opik and Peter Robinson, and proof of the extent to which the expenses scandal influenced voter intentions.

0430 Boris Johnson's sister Rachel appears to have lost confidence in David Cameron's leadership:

0422 More baffling swings, this time in favour of the Lib Dems. They took Redcar on a 21.8 per cent swing from Labour, and nearly stole Ashfield with a 17 per cent swing. There, the high-profile Labour candidate Gloria De Piero saw the majority cut from 10,213 to less than 200.

0419 Scalp gossip: The Tories believe they've toppled Jacqui Smith in Redditch. And the vote in Ed Balls' new constituency of Morley and Outwood is said to be too close to call. The Tories have thrown huge resources into unseating Balls; if he was to lose it would be the moment of the night.

0415David Dimbleby is getting into his dry stride. "Don't you just love pictures of cars," he mutters as helicopter shots of David Cameron's motorcade appear on screen. "Cars driving along motorways. It's wonderful."

0409 The BBC has finally wheeled out their big projector to throw the seat tallies onto the tower of the Palace of Westminster:

David Dimbleby: "We had to do it now, because it will be dawn soon, and then no-one would be able to see it."

As it stands, the Tories are on 163, Labour 130 and Lib Dems 25.

0403 We understand thatLouise Bagshawe has won Corby for the Tories, pushing the expenses-tarred incumbent Phil Hope into second place.

0400 David Davis has told the BBC that he believes the Tories could still snatch a majority, saying that close counts across the country are now going his party's way.

"John Denham looks rattled. Having refused an interview with the Daily Telegraph earlier in the evening until after the result, the communities secretary is now pacing around with a furrowed brow and gnawing his fist as the votes are recounted."

0351 Nick Clegg's parade has been well and truly rained on:

0343 Labour have held Rochdale, the scene of Bigotgate, with a majority of 889. Voters deserted Labour but opted for the Tories rather than the Lib Dems, the second party, allowing Simon Danczuk to take the seat.

0343 The Tories have taken another of their long shots, Carlisle, with a 7.7pc swing from Labour. They're winning the tough ones but stumbling at lower hurdles. They've also taken Romsey and Southampton North from the Lib Dems, their No 3 target.

0340 Lib Dems gain Burnley from Labour. The out-going Labour candidate Kitty Ussher had a 5,778 majority, but was tainted by expenses revelations.

0339 The inside story of the Manchester counts from Heidi Blake:

"Labour sources say the results so far suggest Labour will comfortably hold Blackley and Broughton, Manchester Central, Manchester Gorton and Withenshawe and Sale East. Withington - the key marginal - is expected to go right down to the wire between the John Leech, the Lib Dem incumbent, and Lucy Powell, the Labour challenger."

0330 Richard Younger-Ross of the Lib Dems has lost his Newton Abbot seat to Tory challenger Anne-Marie Moss by just 523 votes. Younger-Ross was defending a 6,215 majority.

0327 Murray Wardrop is following the count on the South Coast:

"Looking very close in Southampton Itchen, where the Tories are hoping to topple John Denham, the communities secretary. Heading for a recount."

0324 Nick Robinson, the BBC's political editor, is claiming that talks between Labour and the Lib Dems about forming a coalition government have already begun. The Tories will end the night with more seats, but convention dictates that the party currently in power gets the first chance to show it can form a new government.

0317 On a very confusing night, the ITV graphics team really aren't helping:

Swing-tubes?

0315 As things currently stand, the two main parties are neck-and-neck in terms of seats:

"Earlier in the night there was a narrative developing, with Peter Mandelson and Alan Johnson talking about electoral reform, which sounded like they were preparing the ground for a hung parliament. But that's not clear any more because voters are not deciding things in a uniform way. Anything could happen."

0309 Harrogate & Knaresborough: Con gain from Lib Dems. Andrew Jones is the new MP with a 1,039 majority.

0301 David Cameron holds on to his seat in Witney.

His speech: "I believe it is already clear that the Labour party has lost its mandate to govern this country.... We will do all that we can to bring strong, stable leadership to this country". He talks of "putting the national interest first" whatever happens in the hours ahead. His speech is somewhat downbeat, and he does not claim victory. While Labour are clear that they will attempt to form a coalition with a Lib Dems, Cameron gave few clues to his post-election intentions.

On a lighter note:

0254 A clearly shocked Lembit Opik tries to explain his defeat, but the symbolism of the backdrop - a deserted hall - says so much more about tonight's Lib Dem collapse.

0248 It's such a mixed picture. Tories are picking up seats they didn't necessarily expect to win, and failing to take some slam-dunks. The Lib Dem vote is - bafflingly - down in many places, but they've picked up a couple of seats. There has been a 12pc swing against Labour in some of their heartlands, but elsewhere they've gained vote share. Messy messy messy.

0245Nick Britten updates us on the situation in Redditch, where Jacqui Smith is under pressure:

"Conservative candidate Karen Lumley has just arrived at the count in Redditch looking very chipper. Having lost out narrowly to Jacqui Smith in the previous two elections, she said: 'Let's hope it's third time lucky.It's been a exciting campaign and a lot of people on the doorsteps are looking forward to change'."

0245 At last, some good news for the Lib Dems - they have taken Eastbourne from the Tories. Chris Huhne also hangs on in Eastleigh.

0238 Annunziata Rees-Mogg, one of the Tories' bright young things, has failed in her attempt to wrest Somerset and Frome from the Lib Dems. It was No 11 on the Tory target list and she only needed a 0.56pc swing. Geroge Osborne's early bullishness is now looking a little ill-judged.

0233 Lib Dem Willie Rennie, who lost his Dunfermline seat to Labour, sums up his party's dreadful night:

0231 Mixed news for the Tories in their Labour targets: they have picked up Basildon South, but failed to take Bolton North East.

0222 Second scalp of the night - Lembit Opik of the Lib Dems loses Montgomeryshire seat to the Tories. Opik had a majority of 7,000 - it's an extraordinary swing. No-one expected this.

It's not quite a Portillo moment, but he does look a bit miffed. The BBC cut to Sian Lloyd immediately after the result was announced. Sadly not Opik's weathergirl ex-girlfriend - just a reporter who shares her name.

0215 More than 50 results in now, including Con gains from Labour in Battersea, Loughborough and Aberconwy. But Tories are not picking up seats that would give them a workable majority - seats like Tooting and Gedling have been held by Labour. The Lib Dem showing is pretty disastrous. it's pointing to a hung parliament.

0208Jeremy Vine is doing his weird walk-in graphics thing on the BBC, and appears to be enjoying himself.

0201 I don't want to ruin anyone's evening, but Kirstie Allsopp has just ruled herself out of joining a Tory government. The Location Location Location host had been tipped as a potential housing minister, or soft furnishings tzar, but has just told on the BBC that she would "rather fly to the Moon" than take a place in the Lords.

Which is a shame.

0158 More detail about thetwo-tier queuing systemallegedly operated in a Sheffield Hallam polling booth, which apparently led to locals being given priority over students. There are also videosof the confusion.

0154 Guildford result: Con hold. The seat was No1 on the Lib Dem target list (they only needed a swing of 0.09pc) but Tory candidate Anne Milton increased her majority to 7,782. Tonight may be even worse for the Lib Dems than the dreadful early exit poll indicated.

0146 Tooting result: Transport Minister Sadiq Khan holds for Labour. The Tories didn't need to win the seat for a majority, but will still be disappointed. Lib Dem vote share fell. Turnout up 10pc.

His acceptance speech is sombre and cautious - a recitation of Labour's achievements rather than a call to arms. But he includes the ambiguous line that he has a "duty to play his part in Britain having a strong and stable government".

More importantly, look at the man behind him.

His name is Derek Leslie Jackson, and apparently he stood for "Land is Power". He won 57 votes and kept his fist held high throughout Brown's speech. The first memorable image of election night....

0130 City of Durham result: Labour hold. Seat was 23rd on Lib Dem target seat - a disappointment for Clegg.

0124 Summary of where we stand: Tories will be the largest party, but may fall short of a majority. If so, they will still claim a mandate to govern. But Labour, who look set to finish in a stronger second than expected, are hinting they will try to form a coalition with the Lib Dems. They may not be the biggest party but incumbency gives them first chance to go to the Queen.

0121 Jenny Watson, chairwoman of the Electoral Commission, was unequivocal on BBC News; the results of constituencies where returning officers allowed polling stations to stay open after 10pm to deal with queues could be overturned:

"The law is extremely clear. They have the guidance. They should have done what the law says. If they haven't done that ... they may well be subject to election petitions. But we don't have the power to tell them or instruct them what to do."

0117 Results are coming in too fast to post on the blog. But you can read them all on ourGeneral Election 2010 resultspage. 13 seats have declared so far.

"Downing Street sources tonight said that Prime Minister Gordon Brown will try to form a coalition government in the event of a hung parliament."

The Tories have tried to claim victory already, but it appears that Labour are digging in their heels. Ed Miliband is the latest minister to appear on TV claiming the results show that most voters are now in favour of electoral reform - a clear sign that Labour would be prepared to meet Lib Dem demands for PR as a condition for coalition.

0059Louise Gray writes that rumours of a Green victory in Brighton Pavilion may be premature:

"Brighton Pavilion have barely started counting and the BBC have declared Caroline Lucas is the country's first Green MP. But really it is too early to tell in what is a three or even four way marginal. This was a Labour seat last time but Tories are second in the polls and the Lib Dem surge could change everything. Already there are rumours of "a lot of blue" as the Conservatives benefit from the Lib Dems splitting the Green vote."

0052 Belfast East result: DUP Leader Peter Robinson defeated by Alliance candidate. Naomi Long (Alliance) 12,839 (37.23%), Peter Robinson (DUP) 11,306 (32.78%). The leader of the party a minority Tory government will rely on to get legislation through parliament no longer has a seat at Westminster.

0048 The Telegraph's James Kirkup turned paparazzo as he watched Cameron enjoy some Dutch courage a soft drink in a Witney pub:

0043 I wonder if right-wing blogger Guido Fawkesis speaking for the nation on this one:

0041 The Electoral Commission tonight said it would be undertaking a "thorough review" of what had happened in constituencies where people were unable to vote.

0040 Tyrone West result: Sinn Fein hold

0038 The Telegraph has pushed back its publishing deadlines to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of results tomorrow morning. But the first edition has already hit the presses:

0028 Telegraph political correspondent James Kirkup is very, very cold:

"I'm outside the New Inn in Witney, where David Cameron will soon drop in for a pre-results drink. I'm tempted to make a joke about the Conservatives being happy to make use of Labour's 24-hour drinking laws. But frankly, my fingers are too cold to type one. In the meantime, feel free to make your own gags."

Update: David Cameron has arrived at the pub, where he flatly to refused to answer shouted questions from James and his colleagues.

0025 We are just minutes away from the first marginal result - Birmingham Edgbaston. The Tories are hoping to unseat Labour's Gisela Stuart, who had a majority of just 2,349 in 2005.

0023 Rumours that the Lib Dems have gained Edinburgh South from Labour. It was fifth on the LD target list - they only needed a swing of 0.48pc. And there's another thrilling rumour from Brighton Pavilion, where it's believed that Caroline Lucas may have been elected the first ever Green MP.

0020Nick Britten is following the vote in Redditch, where there's a good chance that the former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will lose her seat. He reports that turnout is 63.8 per cent - up one per cent on last time. Result expected around 5am.

0016 Meanwhile, the Telegraph's Bryony Gordon is keeping an eye on the motley collection of "notables" who have earned a place on the BBC's election night boat. So far: Martin Amis, David Starkey, Bruce Forsyth, Dame Kelly Holmes, Joan Collins, Dom Jolly, Tony Parsons...

0010Twitter user JustDoItFilm has posted pictures purporting to show police attempting to disperse crowds of turned away voters in Hackney

"As many as 200 voters were turned away from polling stations in Manchester Withington when doors closed at 10pm.The hyper-marginal constituency is one of Labour’s key targets, with a swing of just 0.7 per cent required to wrest it from John Leech, the Liberal Democrat incumbent. Officials confirmed that “a couple of dozen voters” were turned away, but denied reports that the number ran into hundreds."

0001 The Telegraph's Peter Hutchison in Bedfordshire has bad news for lovers of political upsets:

"Is Esther Rantzen confident of pulling off the shock of the night by winning Luton South? "No, of course not" the TV presenter admitted."

2356George Osborne says that Labour politicians who are pushing for a coalition need to "get real". He says that the exit poll and early seats show "a huge rejection of Labour" and are a "pretty stunning result" for the Tories. He also expresses concern that returning officers in different constituencies seem to have handled the voting problems in different ways, with some accepting ballots after 10pm.

2349 Sky News is showing footage of a dispute between would-be voters and election officials in Islington South, after long queues caused dozens of people to be turned away at 10pm. And angry failed voters in Sheffield are apparently blocking roads around polling stations to stop ballot boxes from being removed. There is already a Facebook protest group. , which alleges that officials discriminated against students by setting up a "fast track" queue for long-term residents. As a result, hundreds of students were locked out when polls closed. If true, that could be a huge scandal.

Meanwhile, the BBC is reporting that 600 people were turned away in Chester because polling lists were not updated.

2347 All three MPs elected so far are all women. Coincidence or trend?

2344 Eric Pickles, Tory election supremo, on the voting problems that are being reported across the country:

"It's ridiculous. Of course people should be able to vote. Surely to goodness the returning officers could have just put the people in the polling station and continued."

2341 Sunderland Central result: Julie Elliott retains seat for Labour with 19,695 vote, ahead of Tories with 12,770. A swing of 4.8pc from Lab to Con - so smaller than the two previous Sunderland results. Still no Lib Dem surge - they were back in third.

2325 The two results so far, while both Labour holds, bode well for the Tories. Swings of 11.6pc and 8.4pc in seats where they made minimal effort suggest that a majority government is still a possibility. As the Telegraph's Toby Harnden tweets:

"Thatcher's swing in '79 was 5.3% and Blair's swing in '97 was 10.2%. 11.6% nationwide wld be biggest since Atlee in '45."

2329 Nick Clegg has reportedly visited polling stations in his Sheffield Hallam constituency in person to apologise to people who were unable to vote because of the high turnout. A local student newspaper has more detail on the chaos, with police apparently called to the scene to disperse the crowds.

Hardened hacks in the Telegraph newsroom are wondering why so many people waited until 9.45pm to cast their vote, given that polls opened at 7am...

2320 It's a strange, frustrating stage of the evening. The early exit poll has set the tone for the next few hours, but we've only had one result to test whether its predicted outcome is credible. Meanwhile, Twitteris continuing to amuse itself with C4's political Come Dine With Me: "Brian Paddick" and "Edwina Currie" are both trending topics in London. Behind "Cleggy Weggy".

2316 The Telegraph's Benedict Brogan issticking by his forecastof a Tory majority of nine - and says David Cameron deserves congratulation.

2306 The trickle of stories about voters being turned away from polling stations is turning into a flood, particularly on Twitter:

@tomasleach: Police kicking people out of london fields polling station after 100+ people weren't allowed to vote. Farce.

@Arlanfor A returning officer in Lewisham kept the polling station open for an extra 30 minutes - is that legal?

@quercuskids: Sit-in at hackney polling station as people not being allowed to vote.

2303 Has Labour's Douglas Alexander had early word of the count in Ed Balls' constituency, when the Education Secretary is facing a serious Tory challenge? He's just told Jeremy Paxman that "if the polls are correct we lose some very valuable colleagues this evening".

2301 From the Telegraph's Rosa Prince, who is following Brown's count in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath:

"Tescos in Kirkaldy reports that two Gordon Brown staffers popped in earlier to buy two Freeview boxes to allow them to watch the results on all the channels."

"Traders worldwide have started selling off the pound as they fret over exit polls pointing towards a hung parliament. Sterling fell by around a cent against the dollar, dropping from over $1.48 to just above $1.47 as investors bet against the UK currency in the minutes following the exit poll released after the polling boothsclosed at 10pm.

"Sterling was sharply lower against the euro, despite the chaos surrounding the single currency over recent days. Half an hour after the polls closed, a euro was worth around 86p, compared with 85p an hour earlier."

2255 If you're watching ITV, you'll be seeing quite alot of the party leader caricatures commissioned to dramatise the night's events. The Brown and Cameron ones are quite good. But this, incredibly, is meant to be Nick Clegg:

2251 First result: Houghton & Sunderland South: Labour hold seat with 19,137 for Bridget Phillipson. Tories second with 8,147. Turnout of 55pc. Swing from Lab to Con of 8.4pc

2242 Lord Mandelson on BBC1: "People have voted for change but they don't know what type of change they want". So that's cleared things up. Tellingly, he also conceded that the first past the post electoral system is "oncl it's last legs". A sign that Labour haven't given up on a coalition with the Lib Dems?

2229 John Prescott, the most bullish of Labour's twitterers, is singing a humbler tune this evening:

2224 More reports of voters being turned away from polling stations because of the high turnout. Apparently around 20 people were locked out when booths shut in Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency. Similar stories in Dalston and Hackney in East London.

2222David Cameron has described the outcome indicated by the exit poll as a "decisive rejection of Labour", adding that the Tories "can govern with this result". A bold claim for such an early and curious poll....

2217 The Spectator's Fraser Nelson and The Guardian's Polly Toynbee are in rare agreement on Sky News - that the exit poll's Lib Dem seat count is suspiciously and unbelievably low. But how could one of the largest polls of the election (18,000 people were surveyed) get it so wrong?

2210 Counts are now underway, with dozens of Sunderland schoolchildren passing ballot boxes hand-to-hand in the region's traditional - and inexplicable - race to be the first to declare. The safe Labour seat of Houghton & Sunderland is expected to announce at 11pm, with Washington & Sunderland and Sunderland Central following shortly afterwards.

2206 The editor of the influential Conservative Home website believes the Tories could come even closer to a majority:

Two sentence analysis: Cameron would be able to form a workable minority government. The Lib Dems would actually lose seats on 2005.

The BBC/ITV News/Sky News poll interviewed 18,000 voters, who had already cast their ballot, at 130 polling stations across the UK.

A glum Alan Johnson tells Sky News that Labour would have to "accept the views of the British people" if the exit poll is accurate. Analysts are saying that the poll may be underestimating the Lib Dem haul.

2156 Reports that national turnout is likely to be in high 70 per cents, and up to the 80s in some constituencies. If true, would be higher than 1997...

2144 At 10pm we're expecting the results of an exit poll commissioned by the major broadcasters. It should give a reasonably accurate indication of national voting patterns, but results in the 100-or-so key marginals are harder to predict.

2136 The BBC and ITV don't begin their election coverage until 10pm, so political junkies with terrestrial sets are currently having to make do with Channel 4's Alternative Election Night. At the moment, they're showing an election themed Come Dine With Me - starring Derek Hatton, Edwina Currie, Rod Liddle and Brian Paddick - so you're best off staying online with us.

2130 Breaking news from the Press Association:

"Mr and Mrs Brown had lamb stew for dinner at their home. The Prime Minister went for a nap at about 8.30pm."

2128 Shocking incompetence from council officials in Merseyside. TheLiverpool Echo is reportingthat voters were turned away from polling booths due to a shortage of ballot papers. On the bright side, the incident adds to the growing pile of anecdotal evidence of high turnout.

2123 As you watch the results come in on television this evening, you'll wantthis spreadsheetup on your computers.Itcurrently shows every seat in the country, listed by expected declaration time, with the swing needed for each one to change hands. It will be updated through the night with instant results.

2118 Alastair Jamieson, our man at the Poplar & Limehouse count, witnessed some disturbing scenes in Tower Hamlets earlier today, where police were called to a school in Copley Road, Stepney, to deal with a gang of about 20 workers from all parties who were crowding voters at the entrance to the polling station:

"The Telegraph observed that Asian women were being particularly targeted by the crowd, who followed them into the entrance, shouting. Many of those voting appeared to be neighbours or relatives of those hanging around the polling station entrance and were appealing to them directly for their vote.

"The presiding officer at the polling station said she had attempted to move the party workers on herself several times and had asked the police for help. Police moved the crowd on this morning but they later returned. There was similar intimidation of voters outside a nearby polling station at St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School in Mile End, where voters were pursued through the entrance by party workers.

"A council official inside said the group had been lingering by the entrance all day but, while they were "a nuisance", there was no evidence the law had been broken."

2113 David Cameron has been calming his nerves by chopping wood in his back garden im Witney this evening, we are told. A homage to the last great wood-chopping PM, William Gladstone?

2109 The latest polls are pointing to a hung parliament, with the Tories securing a few seats fewer than the 326 they need for an outright majority. But with the outcomes in the contested marginal notoriously difficult to predict, and up to 40pc of voters still undecided this morning, it's really anyone's guess.

2101 Just an hour to go before polls close and the real fun - the counts, the swingometers and the Dimblebees - can get underway. We have reporters at around 20 counts across the country, who will bring you first word of the results in key marginals. The earliest results are expected around 11pm, with the majority of the 650 constituencies planning to declare by 6am.

1958 Tweetminster say 20,600 have Tweeted #ukvote and a million people have said they voted on facebook

1947 Reuters ascribes the drop to Greek debt worries, rather than a Green Party election win

1947 The Dow Jones US stock index just plunged. Do they know something we don't?